Forever NGU l Volume 2 Issue 2

Dear Alumni,

We are excited to begin a new school year! I am proud of all we have accomplished despite the ‘unusual’ circumstances we’ve been dealing with these past two years. Our NGU alumni network is strong, we’ve mastered the ‘pivot,’ and we will continue to succeed as we move forward into a new year together.

This spring and summer, we enjoyed hosting multi-state alumni events. I look forward to being able to continue providing programming and more networking opportunities for our alumni in the coming months.

The Office of Alumni Engagement and the NGU Alumni Association Board remain dedicated to connecting you with your NGU family and are excited to welcome you all back to campus this fall for Homecoming weekend.

Come Home To NGU

Homecoming begins on Friday, October 28, with the Annual Marion Moorhead Golf Classic. On Friday evening, at 6:30 pm, we will honor the Class of 1972 and our 2022 Alumni Award Winners at the 2022 Alumni Awards Dinner and Half-Century Ceremony. We are pleased to announce two alumni award honorees for 2022:

Distinguished Alumni Award

Kathleen Burgess, MCM ’12.

Kathie is the oldest of five children born to an abusive alcoholic father and a mother with mental illness. When she was five, her father abandoned the family, and her mother had to be hospitalized for mental illness. All the children spent their childhood separated into different foster homes and several orphanages. As a child, she was in a total of two orphanages and three foster homes, of which one was extremely abusive. Kathie says, in retrospect, "I can see that God may have used my circumstances of abuse to minister to other children who were victims of abuse or abandonment."

Today, Kathie serves in the Hands of Kindness Children’s Ministry, a non-profit organization that seeks to be a witness of God’s love to orphans and vulnerable children in Uganda by providing for their basic physical, medical, educational, and spiritual needs. We invite you to hear how the Lord led Kathie to this vital work as she is honored with the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award on October 28, 2022.

Young Alumni Award

John Craig Williams, IV ’16

Craig is called to serve those in a crisis. Currently, he is Chaplain at Interim Hospice and the leader of GriefShare, a grief support group at the Grace Church Powdersville campus as part of the Care and Recovery team.

Since starting this work in 2020, Craig has served an average of 40 patients and their families. In addition to his service as a chaplain, He is a graduate of NGU and Furman's ROTC program; he is a commissioned officer in the South Carolina National Guard, Second Lieutenant, ordained for Gospel Ministry from Easley First Baptist in 2017, and continued his education at Erskine Theological Seminary, graduating in 2019 with a Master's Degree in Divinity.

Craig exhibits the qualities and characteristics of the NGU Young Alumni Award honoree. He shares God's Word with everyone in his hospice work and serving SC National Guard soldiers around the state. A quiet but direct young man, Craig uses the God-given tools that NGU helped foster to impact his community and state. Learn more about him on October 28, as he is honored as the NGU Young Alum of the Year.

For the complete schedule and to register, click the online registration link below.

North Greenville Climbs in U.S. News Best Regional Universities Rankings

North Greenville University moved into the top third of institutions in the annual U.S. News & World Report ranking of “Best Regional Universities” in the South, the highest ranking it has held in the influential report.

NGU Ranks as Best Private Online College in South Carolina for 2022

With students’ changing demands for alternative education opportunities, online education continues to grow more popular as an option to traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. Colleges and universities offer online programs designed to match the academic requirements of on-campus degrees with added flexibility, affordability, and convenience.

The online technology firm ZDNet.com, recently released its 2022 state-by-state rankings of Best Online Colleges. North Greenville University (NGU) is South Carolina’s top private university on the list, and ranks No. 6 overall for the state’s “best online college” list.

NGU Benefactor, Long-Time Trustee Melvin Younts Dies

Dr. Melvin K. Younts, a long-time benefactor and five-term trustee of North Greenville University, died Saturday, August 27. He was 93. The noted philanthropist maintained a law practice in Fountain Inn and Greenville for several decades.

NGU Returns Wood Name to Historic Tigerville Store

A 168-year-old part of the Tigerville community was renamed earlier this month, honoring its historic role in the Greenville County community, which is home to North Greenville University’s main campus.

NGU Reduces Certificate Program Tuition This Fall

NGU is making tuition rates more affordable to fulfill its mission of equipping transformational leaders for church and society. Beginning Fall 2022, the university added to its wide range of bachelor’s and master’s certificate programs and reduced its certificate tuition from $350 to $295 per credit hour.

NGU Alumna, Travelers Rest Mayor Brandy Amidon Featured Speaker for Auxilio Fall Luncheon

Join NGU Community and area women to enjoy lunch and fellowship on the TIgerville Campus at Auxilio's Fall Luncheon on Thursday, September 15, at noon in the President's Dining Room in Todd Dining Hall. Brandy Amidon, a 2002 alumna and Mayor of Travelers Rest, will be our featured speaker.

The cost is $15 per person, and you may RSVP online or call 864.663-0163 or email auxilio@ngu.edu. Come, and invite a friend to join you!

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Finding Hope Through Tragedy | God Saved Pierre Salmon for a Reason

As the lone survivor of a car accident that took the lives of two of his friends in the fall of 2000, Pierre Salmon spent many of the days that followed asking two simple questions.

“Why am I still here? Why didn’t you take me?”

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Introducing the Alumni Board

The NGU Alumni Board of Directors was formed by a group of early graduates in 1974. Today, the Board includes alumni representing various industries and backgrounds and from five decades of graduating classes. Each member may serve unlimited, three-year terms and is selected based on their strengths, area of professional expertise, NGU involvement, and university pride. We thank each board member and appreciate their service to the university.

Nominations Are Open

We have vacant board positions that need to be filled. Please consider nominating a candidate or applying individually to join the alumni board. Board members commit to attend bi-monthly meetings, serve on one of the board’s standing committees, and participate in activities sponsored by the association and Alumni Engagement. Nominations are open. To apply as a board member, contact Lamont Sullivan. The Board meets every other month in a hybrid format. Please email Lamont Sullivan for more information.